Newcastle University Business School

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary: £19,623, with progression to £21,686 per annum

Closing Date: 27 October 2021

The Role

Newcastle University is seeking three motivated and organised Education Assistants to join our Education Team. You will provide administrative support to ensure the smooth and effective running of a cluster of the Business School’s taught programmes. Working under the oversight of an Education Administrator and the Education Team Leader, you will complete activities in the School Education Calendar and support student processes and activities. You will provide students with an excellent level of service and ensure that they are effectively supported throughout their programme. This will include acting as front line support for student queries in a range of locations on a rota basis. Following a recent Professional Services reorganisation, there has been significant additional staff resource invested in the School.

You will possess good organisation and communication skills and you will be keen to provide students and staff with a consistently excellent level of service. Ideally, you will have demonstrable work experience in a relevant role in a Higher Education setting, with a working knowledge of relevant University systems, although this is not essential. You will have a working knowledge of relevant systems, equipment, processes and procedures, including standard software packages.

For informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact David Platt, Education Team Leader (David.Platt2@ncl.ac.uk) by email in the first instance. For a full job description and details on how to apply, please see the Newcastle University website.

The post is full time, permanent.

Key Accountabilities

• Working under the oversight of an Education Administrator and the Education team leader, to complete activities in the School Education Activity Planner. These include but are not limited to:
  • Inputting amendments to annual documentation such as modules and regulations
  • Supporting the student registration and induction cycle, including organising inductions, updating handbooks, and personal tutor allocation
  • Ensuring up to date information is uploaded to the various University systems, i.e. SAP, Module Outline Forms (MOFs), NESS, Blackboard
  • Inputting updates of teaching materials on University systems as they arise, and the timely distribution of materials to staff and students
  • Checking and updating student data using University systems, including ensuring students are appropriately registered on programmes and modules as required.  Communicating changes and providing information to other services
  • Receiving and collating exam papers from academic colleagues, receiving and checking of coursework, including follow up for non or late submissions, distributing and tracking assessed work out for marking and chasing to ensure it is processed within expected timescales. Transcribing or uploading marks to relevant University systems, i.e. NESS, Blackboard. Acting as secretary to Module Moderation Boards and Boards of Examiners, including agenda preparation and circulation, minute taking and monitoring progress of actions
  • Acting as secretary to meetings including, but not limited to, Boards of Studies and Examiner and Module Moderation Boards, including meeting organisation, agenda preparation and circulation, minute taking and monitoring of actions
  • Setting up University systems evaluations for students to complete
• Managing receipt of absence request forms and processing of PEC requests, approving extensions within set criteria, liaising with professional service and academic colleagues where necessary, communicating decisions back to students and ensuring that institutional systems are updated
• Providing support for post application visit days
• To provide students with a consistent level of service and ensure they are effectively supported throughout their programme lifecycle, including whilst taking part in activities such as placements and mobility opportunities
• To act as front line support for student queries in various locations associated with the School on a rota basis and will be expected to take on a generic health and safety role within the School
• To work closely with colleagues/teams at School, University and faculty level to: deliver Business School strategy, ensuring alignment with the University’s strategies, policies, guidelines and approaches; share best practice in a service culture; and undertake joint planning with a commitment to change management in order to maximise impact and effectiveness
• To carry out other duties, as defined by line manager, which support the successful achievement of Business School vision and strategy

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Working knowledge of relevant systems equipment, processes and procedures including standard software packages
• Appreciation of the standards for the conduct and output of the role
• Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing
• Good I.T. skills, i.e. good working knowledge of Microsoft Office software packages   
• Familiarity with work priorities and those of colleagues
• Basic understanding of relevant policies and procedures, as they affect the role
• Willingness and availability to work flexibly when required and agreed with line manager
• Working knowledge of relevant systems (SAP, NESS, MOFs, Blackboard, Syllabus Plus, Evasys) (Desirable)
• Demonstrable work experience in a relevant role and/or comparable setting (Desirable)

Qualifications

• Grades A-C in English Language and Mathematics at GCSE (or vocational qualifications or equivalent)

Newcastle University is committed to being a fully inclusive Global University which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, as well as being open to flexible working practices.

The University holds a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. The University also holds the HR Excellence in Research award for our work to support the career development of our researchers, and is a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

We understand how important the full employment package is to our colleagues at Newcastle University and we are committed to providing a great range of benefits and discounts for all.  You can learn more about what is available here on our Benefits Website page.